Strengthening the Global Network: Womble Bond Dickinson Creates US-UK Attorney Exchange Program
Feb 03 2025
Womble Bond Dickinson has launched an innovative U.S.-U.K. attorney exchange program, providing its legal professionals with immersive opportunities to strengthen cross-border collaboration and enhance client service. The initiative is already building bridges between its U.S. and U.K. teams.
According to Womble’s People Program Manager Amanda Bean, the idea for the exchange program has been in development since the 2017 transatlantic combination that created Womble Bond Dickinson.
Bean explained, “We were excited to give our team a chance to spend dedicated time in international offices, really learn from their counterparts abroad, become immersed in that team, and build those strong partnerships.”
The exchange program offers a more in-depth experience compared to the firm’s existing Transatlantic Lawyer Network. While the latter is a week-long program focused on specific practice areas, the new exchange program fully integrates participants into the daily workings of overseas offices for a few weeks. Participants engage in team meetings, client calls, networking events, and even cultural outings, allowing them to truly immerse themselves in the host office’s environment.
U.S. Patent Partner Brendan O’Dea recently returned from a nearly two-month stint at Womble’s U.K. offices, spending time with colleagues in London, Newcastle, Leeds, and Southampton. During his time abroad, O’Dea experienced firsthand the collaborative nature of the U.K. teams. He participated in local client events, weekly team meetings, and even a practice group retreat in Newcastle.
“The entire experience from front to end was incredible,” O’Dea said. “Our clients responded well. First, that we have this international presence. They also were interested that the firm has a program of this caliber, that we’re actively sending attorneys to exchange and to have the benefit of learning the culture and operations on the other side of the pond.”
He said the U.S. and U.K. patent systems are similar at a high level, but have differences found in small but important details.
“I was familiar with the high notes of U.K. patent law and European patent law, but reading cases . . . was a level I never really had occasion to go down to,” O’Dea said, noting that participating in rundowns of recent court decisions and their applicability to client service with the U.K. Intellectual Property Team was a very interesting feature of his time overseas.
The program isn’t limited to U.S. attorneys traveling abroad. Two U.K. attorneys, Amy Galloway and Sheilah Mackie, have already spent time in U.S. offices. Both had the chance to interact closely with their American counterparts in the Intellectual Property practice group, attend client meetings, and participate in U.S.-based training programs. This included experiences like observing the U.S.’s mock trial training program, which helped them gain a new perspective on the American legal system.
Bean said the program’s mentorship element, which pairs participants with experienced colleagues during their stay, adds a layer of guidance that enriches the overall experience.
With an eye toward continuous improvement, Womble Bond Dickinson is already making big plans for the future of the program. A second US attorney is set to travel to the UK in 2025, with a special focus on the financial services sector. Meanwhile, lessons learned from O’Dea’s and other participants’ experiences will help refine the program moving forward.